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Michael Appleton relaxed over Lincoln City future of Southampton target Sean Roughan

Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton has told that he is relaxed over Sean Roughan’s future with his League One side after the defender joined Southampton on trial.

The Saints recently hosted Roughan at the south coast club’s Staplewood training ground and fielded the teenager in a handful of age-level fixtures, as they ran the rule over the left-back’s potential.

Southampton have long held an interest in Roughan before approaching the Imps over a trial spell, and were granted permission as Appleton and his EFL side look to see him find the right pathway into the senior game.

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(Photo by Chris Vaughan – CameraSport via Getty Images)

“It was an opportunity for them to have a look at Sean. They’ve shown an interest for a while now,” Appleton . “We were more than happy for that to happen. He’s our player until someone makes an offer, it’s as simple as that.

“As it stands, at this moment in time, he’s a young player and we just want to make sure that he’s got the right pathway. If that’s with us, for me, he has to be playing. At this moment in time he’s not doing that.”

He : “As long as we’re open and transparent with each other, whether it’s Sean, his agent, the club, the board of directors, we’re quite relaxed about it [his future]. What we won’t want to do is send him here, there and everywhere.”

Southampton are yet to return to Lincoln with a formal offer for Roughan, who is under contract at the LNER Stadium after penning his first professional deal () last July on terms with an undisclosed end date.

The Republic of Ireland U17 international progressed to make his in September, but has only and is not expected to be given a role to play in Lincoln’s play-off efforts () having been frozen out since December.

TBR’s view:

While Lincoln were delighted to hand Roughan his first professional contract last summer and Head of Football Jez George felt the defender ‘is a player of real potential’ (), he has struggled to show that on the field this term and it should worry Southampton how he fell out of favour.

The teenager was Appleton’s first-choice left-back entering the campaign but he made his last League One , while also overlooked when the Imps hosted Liverpool in the Carabao Cup – suggesting he is not yet ready for the Premier League.

Southampton having a first-hand look at Roughan will allow Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side to make an educated decision over a summer swoop, though, knowing where he currently is in his development and what areas they would need to sign the youngster work on if signed.